Vampire...

[petermcleland]

Picked up this today:-

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmXe3Rssz_g

Brought back happy memories of RAF Valley on Anglesey

[petermcleland]

I thought my logbook for my course at 202 AFS might be of interest:-











You might need to click the pages up to Full Size to read them

[robbie]

Thanks Peter, that's very interesting, wow I was only 3 months old at that time!!.

Robbie.

[dodger]

Hello Peter,

Thanks for that she sounded great,

As an aside. back in the 1970's when i last lived in Devon i drove for a local Transport firm and we were storing goods in a warehouse at the old Exeter Airport and in one of the Hangers were a load of Vampire cockpits, no other parts of the aircraft if i am right but i do remember the smell was still there inside them.

There was nobody around to ask what was happening to them and i and i did'nt go back as we were not storing the goods for long but i still wonder about them even after all these years and think how great it would be to find something like that today!

Roger.

[Tomliner]

Thanks for that Peter.What a life you've led! Always interesting to read your posts. I know it's a rather predictable and twee sort of question, but throughout your flying career was there one type of aircraft that evokes your fondest memories? EricT

[petermcleland]

Thanks for that Peter.What a life you've led! Always interesting to read your posts. I know it's a rather predictable and twee sort of question, but throughout your flying career was there one type of aircraft that evokes your fondest memories? EricT

Yes Eric...without doubt, the Hunter FGA9

[Airspeed]

Impressive one, Peter, and thanks for the peek into your private log

Though it's old by today's standards, I still wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a hostile pass.
Knowing that when an attack is really cranked up, and the aircraft is past before the noise hits you..then it's or worse!

[petermcleland]

Impressive one, Peter, and thanks for the peek into your private log

Though it's old by today's standards, I still wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a hostile pass.
Knowing that when an attack is really cranked up, and the aircraft is past before the noise hits you..then it's or worse!

Well the Venom had exactly the same armament and I well remember a demo on Salisbury Plain that we did with high explosive and semi-armour piercing ammo...The sight of the destruction occurring just after you opened fire was really awe inspiring and also pretty frightening as quite a lot of red hot stuff came back at you from all those explosions!...The nice thing about the 20mm cannons on the Vampire or Venom was that you carried a full 30 seconds worth of ammo. You had to be much more fussy with your burst on the Hunter with its 30mm Aden guns because of the very high rate of fire, you only had 7 seconds of ammo. But of course a 1 second burst with that gun pack sent 80 high explosive shells down!